Moonlight through shadows
by Lycan of Skyrim
Summary: Darius Ryder is a 19 year old imperial and werewolf. Follow Darius as he copes with his affliction, gets used as a weapon and finds friendship and maybe more from an unlikely source. (Follows the dawnguard storyline and maybe beyond)
1. Darkened dreams

**Darkened Dreams**

_**The wind is cold against my face as I look at the unfamiliar area in front of me. The area was a patch of land surrounded by trees that encircled the area, allowing the rays of the moon to light up the small pond in the centre the circle of land.**_

_**As I carefully step out of the treeline, the light of the moon touches my skin and I feel powerfull and a familiar scent enters my nose. The smell is sweet and mouthwatering as well as...innocent? **_

_**Innocent? since when can I-**_

_**A monstrous howl cuts through the air and breaks my train of thought.**_

_**My ears perk up and instead of feeling fear at the deafening sound, I feel excited...and hungry.**_

_**The strange feelings did not last long as a peircing pain erupts from my head, clouding all thought as the pain spreads through my body while I let out a scream full of pain while closing my eyes.**_

_**My hand and feet begin to feel crooked as the pain reaches them, claws splitting through the tips of my fingers and toes as my spine expands and my blood begins to heat up my body so much that it feels like its burning. **_

_**My face began to stretch outwards as a snout takes the place of my nose and canines take the place of my teeth, all while my slightly tanned skin turns a dark grey and Black Fur covers my body. **_

_**A burning sensation begins to form within my bright blue eyes as I open them, transforming the dark of night into a bright yellow that lit up the area as if it were day.**_

_**The pain subsides as I feel myself slipping into darkness and before I pass out, I see a black hunched over figure run through the tree line, howling with glee.**_

"AHHHH!" I scream as bolt upright in my bed, drenched in a cold sweat with my heart hammering in my chest.

I look around me to get a familiar sense of my surroundings. I let a sigh of relief as I remembered where I was, in the Vilemyr Inn in Ivarstead.

Footsteps enter my ear as I try to get my breathing and heart under control. "Boy, boy are you alright?" asked a concerned voice. I looked up to see Wilhelm owner of the inn, standing in the doorway with suprised look.

"Yes sorry, I just had...a stupid dream." I said with a forced smile.

"Are you sure? sounded much worse than a 'stupid dream'." he said looking skeptical. Last thing I need is him calling someone for my aid, I don't want to attract any unwanted attention.

"Yes don't worry Wilhelm, I'm fine." I assured him.

Wilhelm still looked doubtful but luckily he accepted my word and left, allowing me to once again sigh in relief before closing my eyes and attempted at going back to sleep.

Nightmares. They have haunted me eversince I learned what I was nearly 3 months ago, always haunting me with the scent of my victim in my sleep. I honestly can't remember how I was bitten, but it won't make any difference.

I'm a werewolf now, forced to change into a rampaging monster once a month. At first I thought I could handle that, only turning once on a full moon. I was wrong though, the change can occur during:

1: a full moon

2: extreme pain or anger._ I had to learn that the hard way_

I have only transformed three times, but it was only on the first and third times that I hurt someone. The first time I changed was in falkreath, the same town where I was bitten by another werewolf.

I had traveled to skyrim in search of adventure, I had always heard of the landmarks of skyrim as a child and I was on my way to Whiterun to gaze at Dragonsreach. On my way there I traveled through Falkreath and was attacked by a werewolf, however nobody knew it was a werewolf at the time so they nursed me back to health. It was only when I changed on the full moon one month later, that everyone realised what attacked me.

I had killed...an innocent on that night.

I woke up the next morning in the woods, 5 miles from Falkreath, blood covering my hands and mouth. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened and I knew what I was when I cleaned my self in a stream.

_I AM A MONSTER._

The second transformation was on my second full moon. I had found the remains of a stormcloak camp that was ransacked by imperial solders, There were cages and made sure I wouldn't get out of them one the moon came up.

As for my third transformation...I got into a fight with a thief in Riverwood, I got stabbed in the shoulder and the pain woke up the beast. I heard I almost killed him but he screamed 'WEREWOLF!' and guards came, I ran away thankfully. I don't like thieves but I don't like killing either. That was two weeks ago and now I have to find a way to deal with my fourth turning.

I don't have long, the full moon will rise tommorow night and I have to leave Ivarstead before then.


	2. Leaving Ivarstead

**Leaving Ivarstead**

Sleep never goes well for werewolves. Something about their blood stops them from having a full resting sleep and it is frustrating to say the least. So when I got up I was not rested, I was a little bit but not a lot.

I got up from my bed and quickly dressed. It was nothing too fancy, just some brown leather armour and fur shoes along with a steel dagger that I found in that stormcloak camp.

I rubbed away the sleepy drowsiness in my eyes before fixing my shoulder length dark brown hair. I don't usually grow out my hair, but the weather has been getting colder as winter approached and my hair helped keep my head warm.

"Good morning lad." Wilhelm greeted as I exited my room.

"Good morning Wilhelm." I answered back with friendly smile.

"So what are the plans for the day?" he asked.

"Well...I'm leaving for now." I stated with an apologetic smile.

I didn't want to leave, but once the people hear the howling tonight they will call for the viligants of stendarr to investigate.

The viligants are a group that specificly hunts for daedra worshippers, vampires and werewolves so it would be wise to leave Ivarstead for awhile.

"Oh." Wilhelm replied looking saddened. "That's a shame, you've done good work here."

It was true, I had been chopping firewood for Wilhelm to keep the inn's fireplace going and he would pay me for my services with a bed and some gold. People had gotten used to me and I was getting comfortable, but my 'problem' will always drive me away.

"Don't worry Wilhelm, I should be back in a little while." I assured him with a chuckle.

Or at least I might be. If I kill someone again I would leave and never come back, the guilt would be horrible.

"Oh, thats good." he sighed in relief. "finding the time to chop wood is not easy, especially when running an inn." he chuckled back at me.

**"**I'm sure you can handle it for a while, you ain't old yet." I say while heading for the door. "Farewell Wilhelm."

"Farewell Ryder." I hear him say as I shut the inn's door.

Ever since I first changed, I avoided using my full name. As far as I know; Darius Ryder is a wanted man, so now I simply go by Martin Ryder. I didn't want to lose my family name, even if I had no family to speak of.

I have no family and I never knew them either. All I know is that my last name is Ryder, I was born in skyrim and I was sent to Morrowwind when I was a baby.

As I walked across the bridge that led out of Ivarstead I could feel eyes on me. One of the perks of being a werewolf is that I possess some abilities in human form, things like better smell and enhanced hearing.

I pick up the pace of my movements, hoping that whatevers out there in the trees won't follow.

**SNAP!** So much for wishfull thinking. I unsheath my steel dagger and turn around to face whatever was following me. Figures in black cloaks and hoods exit the treeline around me, drawing chains and iron daggers.

_Why couldn't I smell them?_

The figures walked closer and began to crouch as if expecting my attack. I couldn't go anywhere because I was surrounded, then the figures with chains jumped in the air-much higher than any human could- and threw the nets in my direction.

I was still surprised at their jumping skills that I didn't move when the chains were thrown. I was immedietly on the ground and I could hear rattling of other chains being thrown against me.

It was painfull and I could feel my blood begin to burn, so I knew I was going to change soon. I looked up and I realised the figures had wrapped my body with their metal ropes, trapping me.

one of The figures approached me, crouching down to my eye level and what I saw explained everything. His skin was pale white and his eyes were a shade of dark red.

"Hello hound." he chuckled darkly, shining his fangs from under his black hood.

_Vampires._


End file.
